


Halloween AU

by nightchandac



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Halloween AU, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-29 05:12:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5116793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightchandac/pseuds/nightchandac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jedi Knights Kajo and Shara are on a mission to find some missing Jedi and Sith artifacts from an abandoned Sith temple.  Kajo leaves with a little more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

The looming fortress was shrouded in darkness, flashes of lightning revealing grotesque statues of hulking creatures placed around the courtyard.  Kajo and Shara paused at the entrance, the wind whipping their robes around them, their hair flapping into their faces.  Shara looked at Kajo, trying to hide the nervousness she felt bubbling inside her.  He offered his hand to her and she took it and squeezed tightly.

          “Remember, keep your comm on.  We’ll be on our own in there…” Shara reminded him in a shaky voice.

          He squeezed her hand back and nodded, leading her up the massive stairwell.  “We’ll be fine.  Just find the artifact and get out.  Easy peasy.” With his free hand, he ran his fingers over the hilt of his lightsaber at his hip.  As they reached the top of the steps, they gasped.  Kajo immediately felt dwarfed by the giant pillars and statues lining the foyer.  The side statues could not compare to the one in the center and as Kajo looked on in awe, he felt a chill run down his spine. 

          They stared up at the statue—a hooded figure, its arms outstretched.  He held a lightsaber in one hand and a Sith holocron in the other.  All Kajo could make out of his face was his mouth, turned up in a dangerous smile.  He shuddered and looked to Shara who was staring down the hallway behind the statue.  Kajo rested his hand on her shoulder and she started, almost as if she’d forgotten he was there.  “You get the holocron and I’ll find the lost Jedi.  We’ll be fine.  The Force is with us.”

          Shara took a deep breath and nodded.  “Right.  Right, we’ll be back in no time,” she said, trying to sound brave.

          Kajo watched as she headed down the dark hallway ahead of them.  Once she was out of sight, he closed his eyes and focused on reaching out in the Force, trying to sense any other presences.  There was a faint light pulsing somewhere upstairs and he released the breath he was holding.  He had a lead. 

          As he made his way up the massive winding staircase, he admired the stonework.  Carved into the banister were strange runes and the same grotesque creatures he’d seen in the courtyard.  The stone was smooth and worn and Kajo imagined what this temple was like back in its prime; bursting with energy from hundreds of Sith, students and masters alike, rushing off to their next mission or class or meeting…Kajo swore he could feel their lingering presence.

          He rounded the corner into what he assumed used to be a meditation chamber, its high walls draped with tattered black curtains thick with dust.  “Hello?  Is anyone here?  My name’s Kajo, I’m with the Jedi,” he called out, surprised at how quiet his voice sounded.  He’d imagined his voice to echo in the empty space, but it barely reached above a whisper.

          A head poked out from behind a pillar.  “Y-you’re a Jedi?  Really?” the child asked. 

          Kajo began making his way toward her, nodding slowly.  He couldn’t shake a feeling of uneasiness—of cold—but he swallowed his feelings, dismissing it as nerves and nothing more.  “That’s right.  I’m here to take you back home.”

          The small girl emerged from behind the pillar, her white hair a shock in the darkness.  Following her were three more children, another girl and two boys.  Each also had white hair.  They moved slowly toward Kajo, surrounding him and never taking their eyes off him.  Kajo began to feel groggy and dizzy, as if a thick veil had been draped over his eyes.  Slowly, a cold wind began to build.  It swirled around the room and Kajo stumbled against its strength.  He tried to shield himself against it, but it was no use; it was simply too strong.

          As the children linked hands around him, he watched their eyes begin to glow red.  The girl who had spoken earlier tilted her head at him.  “I’ve always wanted a Jedi,” she said, her voice no longer small and innocent.  Instead it was deep and boomed, echoing only in his mind.  She let out a high-pitched shriek and the other children joined in.  Kajo tried to cover his ears against the painful sound, but he found he couldn’t move.  A cold weight had settled on him and he fought for breath.  “This is going to be _fun_.”

          It was like a spear had gone straight through his chest.  He felt fire and impossible cold shoot through him and suddenly there was silence, nothing, calm.  He collapsed to the floor, finally able to move, and brought his hands to his head, his mouth open in a silent scream.  His head was pounding, as if someone had been poking around in there. 

_You can’t fight me._

Kajo stopped.  It was inside his head now.

_Fun, indeed_ , the voice repeated and suddenly the world went black.


	2. Chapter Two

Terron woke with a start, tangled in sweat-soaked sheets.  “Kajo,” he whispered to himself.  Something had happened to Kajo, he was sure of it.  He’d felt queasy all night and his nightmare only made him more concerned.  He rose, grabbing his holocom from his dresser across the room and tried calling Kajo.  No answer.  Frustrated, he tossed the comm onto his bed and went to use the refresher.  Perhaps a cold shower would calm his nerves.

When he returned, his comm was beeping incessantly.  He raced to answer so quickly he nearly dropped his towel.  “Kajo?” he blurted.

Shara’s flickering form appeared and Terron sighed in disappointment.  “No, it’s me…sorry.”

Terron shook his head.  “What’s up?  Aren’t you supposed to be with him?”

Shara nodded and Terron noticed her hair had fallen out of its usual half-ponytail.  She had several cuts on her face and it was caked in dirt.  “I’m really not supposed to be making _any_ calls, but…you know.”

“Shara, what the hell is going on?  Where’s Kajo?  I had this feeling—”

“He’s missing.  He went to go find some missing Jedi and now we can’t find _him_ either…I just thought maybe you could help…” she trailed off, biting her lower lip in concern.

“How can I help if I'm not even supposed to know about this mission?  Our link doesn’t work well this far apart.  I can sense he’s still alive, but that’s about it,” he explained, getting more frustrated.  Not at Shara; no, he couldn’t be mad at her.  He was frustrated with himself.  Maybe if he’d stayed with the Jedi, maybe if he practiced using the Force more, he could sense Kajo better.  Their link to each other was strong, but Kajo was better at sensing things than he was.

“I kind of figured that, but I guess I was just hoping…I’ll keep you posted, okay?” she offered him a sad smile and ended the transmission.

Terron felt sick.  He felt helpless.  Kajo was missing and he couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling something bad had happened to him.  And he couldn’t do anything to help him.  Waiting was the hardest part.


	3. Chapter Three

_Listen, can you hear them?  They’re looking for you._

           Kajo stirred, wincing at the voice in his head.  “Leave me alone.”

_Ah.  Afraid I can’t do that._

          “Kajo, where are you?!”  Shara.  Shara was still here.  How long had he been out?

          He tried to sit up, but the splitting pain in his head made him weak.  Every effort hurt.  “Get out of my head, dammit,” he whispered, only receiving a menacing chuckle in return.  He couldn’t call out, he could barely open his eyes.  All he could do was lay there and wait for someone to find him. 

          Suddenly there were footsteps nearby.  “Shara!  I found him!” called a deep, gravelly voice.  The man rushed over to Kajo, briefly checking him for injuries.  “Kajo, can you hear me?  It’s Master Ragus.”

          Kajo tried once more to open his eyes but found his lids too heavy.  He mustered every ounce of strength he had left and whispered “Yeah.” 

          Ragus sighed in relief.  “Okay, we’re going to get you out of here.  Just stay awake.  Just stay with me.”  Kajo found his deep voice soothing and it was all he could do to keep focused on it.  He felt himself being carried and heard Shara’s gasp when she saw him. 

         “Shara, comm the ship and tell them to prepare the medbay.  We’ll be there in five minutes.”  Ragus commanded, his chest rattling as he spoke and Kajo found the sensation comforting, as if it was helping him stay connected to consciousness.

         They made their way through the rainy jungle to the clearing where their small shuttle sat, its engines purring and whining as the pilot prepared for takeoff.  Kajo felt himself being laid on the medbay bed, and heard voices but they were muddled and drifted away from comprehension.  A small, cold hand placed itself in his and he wanted to squeeze it to reassure whoever it was that he would be okay, but he couldn’t find the energy to make the effort. 

        “Terron knows you’re safe,” came a whisper and he knew it was Shara.  He felt more at ease, a sense of peace washed over him and he hoped the effort he’d put into smiling in reply had actually worked, but there was a prick in his arm and drowsiness took over, forcing him to sleep.


	4. Chapter Four

“Kajo, you awake?” Terron asked next to him.

          It took Kajo a moment, but his eyes fluttered open and as they adjusted to the dusty light filtering through the space where the curtains never seemed to meet, he realized he was home.  He groaned and rolled over to face Terron. 

          “How did I get here?” he asked.

          Terron furrowed his brow.  “I picked you up from the spaceport two days ago, babe.  I mean, you were really out of it, but Shara told me you were all healed…Do you feel okay?” He pressed the back of his hand against Kajo’s forehead and brushed his hair from his eyes.  “You still look exhausted,” he noted, his fingers tracing the darkening shadows beneath his eyes.

          Kajo bit his lip and closed his eyes.  He didn’t remember any of that.  There was darkness and disorientation when he tried to think back and it upset him.  He propped himself up on his elbows.  “I think I’m gonna go take a shower…”

          Terron nodded.  “Okay, but…leave the door unlocked, okay?  You look like you’re gonna pass out.”

          Kajo gave him a small smile and pecked the tip of his nose.  “Sure thing.”

          As he allowed the hot water to massage away some of the tension in his shoulders, Kajo once again tried to think back on his mission.  Was it a success?  He vaguely remembered the dark fortress and separating from Shara while inside.  And…children?  Children with white hair.  He remembered he had to find some missing Jedi.  Were the children the missing Jedi?  He shook his head, trying to shake away his confusion.

          Turning around in the water, he let it wash over his face, trying to bring warmth and comfort instead of the cold dread that was slowly threatening to take hold.  When he reached down to grab his soap, he noticed red mixing with the water, small droplets splashing against the dirty white floor.  Concerned, he reached under his nose and was surprised at the amount of blood dripping from it.  He quickly shut the water off and grabbed a towel.  In his haste, he tripped over the lip of the tub and pulled the towel bar from the wall and fell to the floor with a loud crash.

          Terron came rushing in, shouting his name.  Kajo tried to wave him away, but Terron wouldn’t have it.  He sat up, trying to simultaneously cover himself with the towel while also holding it under his nose to catch the blood.  Terron took off his shirt and handed it to Kajo who stuffed it under his nose.   “I’m fine, Terron.  Really, I just tripped.”

          Terron’s hands hovered over him, unsure of how else to help.  The look of concern he flashed Kajo made him look more like a worrisome father, adding years to his face.  “I’ll go grab you some clothes?” He half-stated, half-asked.  Kajo knew he felt protective of him and when he came to any sort of harm, Terron worried himself sick—often literally—so he nodded.

          After Terron left, Kajo felt a pressure building in his head and he grimaced.  The pain reached down into his jaw, send sparks of pain through his teeth.  He couldn’t close his mouth, the pain was so intense.  One hand continued to press Terron’s shirt under his nose while his other now tried to massage away the ache in his teeth. 

          Terron returned, a neat stack of clothes folded in his arms, and Kajo quickly dropped his hand, putting on a look of calm that he hoped looked genuine enough to not give Terron more cause for worry.  Kajo reached up and Terron took his hand, pulling him to his feet.  When Kajo removed the shirt from under his nose, he saw it had finally stopped bleeding, though Terron’s shirt was now fairly soaked.  He looked up at him sheepishly and Terron took the shirt, smiling at him as he tossed it in the trash, giving him an _it’s fine_ look.

          He was left alone once more to dress and clean up and he felt anger rising in his chest.  He cocked his head, confused at his own feelings.  He was startled out of his thoughts when, once again, Terron entered the refresher.  He stuffed the anger away, hiding it behind false cheer.

          “I was thinking we should have a lazy day.  You could probably use it,” Terron suggested, holding his hand out for Kajo to take.

          Kajo stared at it for a moment, the anger resurfacing for the briefest flash of a second.  He mentally shook it away and forced a smile up at Terron.  “Sure, that sounds nice.  Who picks the first holovid?” he asked, taking Terron’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers.  He could feel Terron’s wariness; something was keeping him on edge and Kajo was certain it was because of his current state.

          Terron smiled.  “I already loaded one up, so you’ll get next pick.”


	5. Chapter Five

_Get up._

          Kajo started awake.  He was lying on top of Terron on the couch, the steady rise and fall of his chest suggesting to Kajo they’d been asleep for several hours.  Confusion flashed over him.  If Terron was asleep, who had—

          _Get up._

          There it was again.  Kajo tried to rise without disturbing Terron, looking around the room for the source of the voice.

          _Time to go._

          Mechanically, Kajo stood and made his way over to the door.  He couldn’t control himself.  It was as if someone had taken control of his body, as if he was a droid following its programming.  He tried to call out to Terron but he couldn’t find his voice and the door slid shut behind him.

  
\------------

 

Terron stirred at the sound of the door hissing open.  “Kajo?” he called, trying to shake the sleep from his voice. 

          Kajo stood in the doorway, nothing but a silhouette, swaying slightly. 

          Quickly turning on the light, Terron raced over to Kajo.  As his eyes adjusted to the bright lights, he noticed Kajo’s robes were covered in blood and he immediately began to panic.  He urgently ran his hands over Kajo, searching for any injuries, but found none.  Kajo still hadn’t moved or said a word.

          Terron took him by the shoulders and ushered him over to the couch.  He knelt in front of him, waving a hand in front of his face, calling his name, but still nothing.  Searching his pockets, he found his comm and called Khail.

          “Tare, what the hell is it?  It’s—Shara, what time is it?” There was a muffled reply and some shuffling followed by a quick apology.  “Now you made me hafta sleep on the couch.  It’s too early…or late, whatever.  What do you want?”

          “It’s Kajo; I don’t know what’s wrong with him…” he replied, trying to keep his voice down.  “He’s just staring off into space.  Won’t talk or move.”

          “Maybe the kid’s just exhausted, Tee.  That happens sometimes.”

          Terron shook his head, anxiously running his free hand through his hair.  “No, this is too different.  He looks…he looks so sick.  I don’t know what to do.”  Kajo’s stare did not move, but there was a flicker in his eyes that made Terron tense.  “Can you come check him out, maybe?”

          Khail sighed into his comm.  “Yeah, I’ll come by.  I just really think he needs rest, bud.  That mission took a lot out of him, it’ll take time for him to recover.”

          Terron shook his head.  “No, this is different, Kay.  It’s too…Something’s off.”

          “I’ll be over soon.  Just take a breath and relax,” Khail replied before cutting the transmission.

          Terron took a steadying breath and took the empty seat on the couch next to Kajo.  The silence was unbearable and there was still a half hour until Khail arrived, so he turned on the news.  As the reporter’s voice filled the background, Terron wrapped his arm around Kajo’s shoulders, hugging him close.

          “—the string of violent murders occurring in the business district tonight.  Four people were found beaten—”

          Kajo chuckled.  It was deep, inhuman.  Terron immediately backed away and turned the station off.

As soon as he turned it off, Kajo cocked his head at Terron.  The movement was swift and left him starting at a disturbing angle.

Terron choked on a scream.  The change was so sudden.  His eyes were now black with pinpoints of red glowing in their depths. 

“ _What’s wrong?”_ Kajo asked in the same deep voice.  In a split second he was on his feet and staring down at Terron. 

Terron gulped and tried to back away but found himself pinned to the couch.  “K-Kajo, stop.  What are you doing?” he whimpered.  The tight Force-grip on his wrists began twisting them behind his back.

Kajo seemed to flicker and he was suddenly leaning close to Terron’s face. _“Don’t come looking,”_ he whispered into his ear.  With another bone-chilling chuckle, his fist connected with Terron’s temple and he was out cold.


	6. Chapter Six

“Terron, wake up, buddy.”  Khail’s muddled voice rose from the blackness.

          Slowly, Terron opened his eyes and groaned.  “What the--?”

          Khail pressed an ice pack to Terron’s temple and helped him up.  “I was gonna ask you the same thing.  Don’t tell me the little guy got the drop on you.”

          Terron glowered.  “This isn’t funny, Khail…  Something happened to him…he’s different.  He’s—”

          “It’s a Sith spirit.”  Shara interrupted.  She stood staring out the window, her arms crossed over her chest. 

          Terron looked at her, confused.  “A Sith?  You mean he’s…”

          She nodded.  “Possessed.  The temple we went into, it was full of old Sith relics and things…He must’ve touched one or something…”

          Terron sensed there was something she wasn’t telling them.  He rose and put a hand on her shoulder, gently turning her to face him.  “Shara, what is it?”

          Her eyes sparkled with held-back tears.  “We were supposed to find some other Jedi who’d gone missing while searching the temple…”  She paused, looking from Terron to Khail.  “We found them, but…they were beyond saving.  A few were dead, and the others attacked us.  We had…we had no choice.”

          Terron’s grip on Shara’s shoulder had tightened.  “What did they look like?” he whispered.

          Shara looked back up at him.  “Gaunt, pale with deep shadows under their eyes…and their eyes were black and red.  It was terrifying.”

          “We have to find him.  We—”

          “Let’s go,” Khail interrupted and gathered his things.


	7. Chapter Seven

They followed a path of destruction through the jungle, a trail of dead creatures and broken branches leading them to the dark fortress.

          Terron and Khail both shuddered as they approached the haunting entrance.  Terron pulled up the collar of his jacket and wrapped himself tighter in it.  “Well, this place seems nice…”

          Khail chuckled and clasped a big hand on Terron’s shoulder.  “When we all get outta here, you and Kajo can come back for your honeymoon someday.  I’m sure there’s always vacancies.”

          Terron wanted to smile at the joke, but his thoughts of Kajo only filled him with anxiety.  “Let’s just focus on Kajo…”

          Together they wandered the temple, Shara and Terron reaching out in the Force to search for him and Khail using his cybernetics to search for life signs.  Finally, when they reached the second floor, Khail barked a direction and they took off running.  Black smoke was rolling from a doorway and they knew they’d found him.

 

          Kajo floated in the center of the room, dark wisps of energy swirling around his body.  Terron was stopped in the doorway, a heavy hand grasping his shoulder tightly.  He looked over at Khail, glaring, but his chest tightened.  There was pure dark side energy running in currents around the room.  Every so often, a crackle of lightning would shoot from Kajo’s fingertips, connecting with the pillars at the corners of the space.  Terron felt the fear rising, threatening to take hold, but he pushed it down. 

         Suddenly, a massive gust of wind blew through the room, whipping at them, threatening to throw them around, to knock them down.  Terron let the wind bite at him, but he used the Force to keep himself rooted to his spot.  He glared at Kajo, letting his hatred for the spirit holding him hostage pour through the Force.

        The wind stopped and the small group at the doorway stumbled at the sudden stillness.  Terron wanted to sprint over to Kajo, to shake him free, to do _anything_ to free him from the hold of the spirit.  Kajo’s eyes flew open and he tilted his head in their direction, the red glow was the only light in the dark space.  With a flick of his hand, Kajo lit the candles on the two hanging chandeliers, and the flickering lights did nothing to make Kajo look less menacing.  Gone were the soft, full cheeks, the bright blue-green eyes full of hope.  In their place were black, hollow eyes with pinpricks of red light and deep, purple, bruise-like shadows hung under them and spread into the hollows of his cheeks.  He looked demonic.  He looked _Sith._

       Terron felt panic rising and he struggled to catch his breath.  He took a few steps forward, hoping no one noticed his legs shaking.  “K-Kajo?  Can you hear me?”

       Kajo’s eyes darted to him and he smiled, revealing a mouthful of disturbingly pointed teeth.  “ _Kajo isn’t here right now,”_ said a low, booming voice.  It echoed from all corners of the room and rattled their teeth. 

       “What are you doing to him?!” Terron shouted, tears stinging his eyes. 

       “ _Such_ anger _!  Such_ raw anger _….Good.  Use it.  I’ve been longing for a good fight!”_ Kajo spat.  His nostrils flared as he raised his hands, lightning already dancing across his fingers.

       “Kajo, if you can hear me, you fight back!  You keep fighting, okay?!” Terron yelled, his voice cracking.

       “ _Oh, ho!  Listen to him, all brave.  It’s almost cute_ ,” he scoffed but he suddenly turned a dark look in Terron’s direction, staring deep within him.  “ _I know you, Terron Ryss._ _The coward Jedi—”_ There was a sudden shriek and Kajo’s head whipped back.  He curled in on himself, shuddering.  Terron stood frozen in his spot, his eyes widening in horror as Kajo’s body twisted.

       “NO!” Kajo cried in his own voice.  He was pulling at his hair, scratching at his face and arms, drawing blood.  “Get out of my head!!  Get out!” he screamed again and again. 

       Terron tried to run to his side, but Khail pulled him back, locking him in his arms. 

       “T-Terron… _run!_ ” Kajo stammered as he lurched and was once again taken over by the spirit.  He straightened and turned his grotesque smile to Terron.  “ _Heh.  Kid’s got a lot of fight in him.  It won’t be enough, though.  To kill me, you’ll have to kill him,”_ the spirit said with menace dripping off every word.

        Terron fought against Khail’s durasteel grip.  “ _No!”_ he cried.  “ _Kajo!  Fight back!  You have to fight back!”_

       Kajo laughed, a chilling sound that sapped the warmth from the room. He stretched his arms out again and lightning began to pop and crackle around him.  Behind Terron, Shara ignited her lightsaber and stood between him and Kajo.  Terron continued to struggle, but Khail held him tight. 

       Kajo sent a wall of lightning toward them and Shara poised to protect them, a bubble of Force energy beginning to spread out from her, but the lightning fizzled out before it reached her.  Once their eyes readjusted to the darkness, they saw Kajo and Terron shouted out to him, choking on sobs.

       Kajo was lying in a heap on the dais in the middle of the room, a black blob of bobbing, dripping energy floating above him.  All around them, energy crackled and made their hair stand on end.  The blob expanded and surrounded the entire dais and with a deafening shriek, it exploded, sending them all flying backwards into the walls.

       Khail lost his grip on Terron as he smacked against the doorway and once Terron came to, he scrambled as fast as he could to Kajo’s side.  Kajo had been thrown against a pillar at the far end of the room, a large gash on his forehead.

       Terron could barely see through his tears.  He gently brushed Kajo’s hair from his eyes and held him in his lap.  “ _Kajo, no.  No, no, no, Kajo, please.  Don’t you die on me.  Don’t you dare die on me!”_ he cried.  He barely noticed Shara as she came up and tore a bit of Kajo’s robes off and began wrapping around his head, trying to stop the bleeding.  He continued to hold Kajo tightly, rocking back and forth as he sobbed, as he pleaded for Kajo’s life.  He was too weak to fight off Khail as he pried Kajo’s limp form from his arms, he simply buried his head in his hands and sobbed.  Shara grabbed him by the shoulders of his jacket and hoisted him up, guiding him out of the chamber.

       They were silent as they walked back to Terron’s ship and when they boarded, Khail set Kajo on the cot in the medbay and quickly made his way to the cockpit to set off back to Coruscant.

       Shara sat Terron on the ground next to Kajo’s bed knowing he would want to stay near him.  She worked quickly, stitching the gash on Kajo’s head. 

       Terron sat still on the ground, his gaze vacant, his head bobbing slightly as he subconsciously tried to keep himself upright.  Shara stooped in front of him and waved a hand.

       “Hey.  I’m gonna put him in the tank.  Want to help me get him ready?” she asked.  As she stood, she offered a hand to Terron and stiffened in surprise as he took it, pulling himself up.

       He sagged when he looked Kajo over.  He looked so small, so broken.  Shara had done a good job cleaning him up; the scratches he had given himself on his face and arms were not as bad as they’d seemed back in the fortress now that the bleeding had stopped.  Shara handed Terron the oxygen mask for the kolto tank and before securing it to Kajo’s face, Terron leaned down and kissed his lips lightly and his breath hitched when he felt the coldness of them.

 

      Several hours later, Terron woke to a sense of panic rushing over him.  He felt his chest tighten and his breathing quickened.  He sat upright, realizing he’d been carried to the couch in the main area and he threw the blanket to the floor, rushing back to the medbay.  Kajo floated in the kolto tank, limbs flailing as they tried to get purchase on the smooth surface of the transparisteel.

       Terron rushed over to him and placed a hand on the tank.  He tried to send waves of calm through the Force to Kajo, but the look on Kajo’s face when he finally made eye contact stopped him.  Sparkling blue-green eyes bored into his.  Though the deep purple shadows beneath his eyes hadn’t faded much, his cheeks looked fuller.  He knew it was too much to hope that he’d find Kajo completely restored, but when their eyes met he felt like crying.  Those deep wells he’d fallen into when they first met now threatened to drown him.  When there couldn’t be words, Kajo’s eyes could express everything.  And now…they were filled with pain and regret.

       Kajo pressed his hand against the transparisteel as well, lining his small fingers up with Terron’s larger ones.  _I’m sorry_ , Terron mouthed and watched as Kajo squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head.  Terron pressed his forehead against the tank and simply stayed there until he felt a small hand on his shoulder.  He looked over and was surprised to see Shara. 

       “He’s unconscious again.  You should be asleep, too, big guy.  Come on,” she said, pulling him along by the hand.

       He spared a glance over his shoulder, watching Kajo float peacefully in the kolto tank.

       Terron sat on the couch and ran a hand over his chin, surprised at how scruffy he’d gotten over the past few days.  Shara draped a blanket over his shoulders and rested her arm over them.  He dropped his face into his hands and took several deep breaths in an attempt to center himself.

       “I can go make you some tea, if you want.”  Terron nodded, wanting to be left alone for a few moments, at least.  He thought back to the pained look in Kajo’s eyes and he wanted to cry out.  He wanted to smash something.  He wanted to make everything better.

       His breaths turned shaky and he felt the familiar stinging in his eyes.  Shara pulled his hands away from his face and placed a steaming mug in them and sat back down next to him, rubbing his back.  He took small, careful sips, blowing on it until he could bear its heat.  After a few more sips, his eyelids began to feel very heavy.  “You put sumthin’ in this di’n’t you?” he asked, slurring his words sleepily.

       She gave him a small smile.  “You need to sleep, Tee,” she replied and took the mug from his loosening grip.  Just before he drifted off into welcome unconsciousness, he felt her tuck the blanket around him and place a pillow under his head.  She kissed his forehead and he let the darkness wash over him.


	8. Epilogue

Terron woke to Kajo shivering next to him. He scooted closer and wrapped him tightly in his arms, whispering in his ear, “I’m here, I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe. You’re home now,” and though Kajo was still asleep, he began to calm down. Terron continued to whisper to him until he fell back asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> All of the characters in this are my own. Here's a little blurb about each of them:
> 
> Kajo) A pure little ball of light side energy, usually the vision of a perfect Jedi, very strong in the Force  
> Terron) Angsty alcoholic, totally in love with Kajo and will do anything for him, ex-Jedi turned smuggler  
> Shara) Small, nurturing Jedi, essentially the mother figure of the group  
> Khail) Very, very large man (6'8", insanely muscular), medic, Shara's fiance


End file.
